Term
Glossary
Wine terminology explained from an importer’s perspective — practical, not academic.
A
Agroforestry
Integrating trees and vines — farming as an ecosystem, not a monoculture
Agroforestry is the deliberate integration of trees and shrubs into agricultural systems, replacing the stripped-down monoculture model that has dominated viticulture since mechanization. In vineyards, trees moderate temperature, rebuild soil biology, sequester carbon, and attract the predatory insects and birds that make synthetic inputs unnecessary. Romain Henin at Aÿ Grand Cru has planted over 100 fruit trees per hectare across 7.5 hectares — one of the most ambitious programs in Champagne and a direct argument that the vineyard is an ecosystem first.
Amphora / Qvevri
The oldest vessel in wine — and still the most honest
Clay vessels predate the barrel by millennia. The Georgian qvevri — egg-shaped, beeswax-lined, buried to its neck in the cellar floor — is the archetype: a fermentation and aging vessel that adds nothing to the wine except a stable environment and a slow, controlled breath of oxygen. The modern revival of amphora winemaking, from Friuli to the Jura to Champagne, is less a trend than a return to first principles.
B
Biodynamic Viticulture
Agriculture as a living system — Rudolf Steiner’s approach applied to wine
Biodynamic agriculture treats the vineyard as a self-sustaining organism, guided by lunar and cosmic rhythms, herbal preparations, and a philosophy that dates to Rudolf Steiner’s 1924 lectures. In Champagne, it is practiced at its most extreme.
Brut Nature / Zero Dosage
Champagne with nothing added after disgorgement
Brut Nature (also called zero dosage or non-dosé) is champagne with no sugar added after disgorgement. It represents the purest expression of the base wine and terroir, and has become a hallmark of the natural champagne movement.
G
Glouglou
The French onomatopoeia for gulping wine — and a shorthand for joyful, easy-drinking natural wine
Glouglou (from the French sound of wine pouring or being gulped) describes a style of natural wine — light-bodied, low in tannin, fresh, and eminently drinkable without deliberation. It is a sensibility as much as a style: wine made to be enjoyed rather than analyzed.
Grand Cru
The highest classification in Champagne — and Burgundy
Grand Cru designates the highest tier of vineyard classification in both Champagne and Burgundy. In Champagne, 17 villages carry Grand Cru status, meaning their grapes historically commanded the highest prices. In Burgundy, 33 individual vineyard plots are classified Grand Cru.
Grower Champagne
From the vine to the bottle — accountability the houses can't offer
Grower Champagne is made by the same person who farmed the grapes — a récoltant-manipulant (RM) who owns the vineyard, works the soil, and signs the label. This is fundamentally different from the négociant model, where large houses purchase grapes from hundreds of growers across the appellation and blend toward a consistent house style. The RM code printed on every label, assigned by the CIVC, makes that distinction verifiable. Nearly every bottle of natural Champagne in existence is a grower Champagne — because the philosophy requires it.
Champagne
N
Native / Indigenous Yeast
Wild fermentation — using the yeast that lives on the grape and in the cellar
Native yeast (also called indigenous yeast, wild yeast, or spontaneous fermentation) refers to fermentation driven by the naturally occurring yeast population on grape skins and in the winery environment, rather than a commercial yeast strain added by the winemaker. It is a defining practice of natural winemaking.
Natural Wine
Farming first, cellar second — the philosophy behind honest wine
Natural wine has no legal definition, but among serious producers it means one thing: grapes grown without synthetic chemistry, fermented with indigenous yeast, and bottled without the industrial toolkit that conventional winemaking takes for granted. We import natural wine not because the category is fashionable but because we believe the approach — farm well, intervene minimally — produces wine that tastes like a place and a year rather than a winemaker's formula.
O
Old Vines
Vieilles vignes — why vine age matters and why the term has no legal definition
Old vines (vieilles vignes in French) is a term used to indicate that a wine was made from grapes grown on older grapevines. There is no legal definition of "old" — usage ranges from 20 years to over a century. Older vines generally produce lower yields and more concentrated, complex fruit.
Organic Viticulture
Farming without synthetic inputs — the baseline for serious wine
Organic viticulture prohibits synthetic pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers. In the EU, organic certification for wine has included cellar practices since 2012. It is the minimum standard for producers we take seriously — and the starting point, not the destination.
P
Peppering
Rudolf Steiner’s radical pest management — burning insects to repel their kind
Peppering is a biodynamic pest management practice drawn from Rudolf Steiner’s 1924 agricultural lectures. Dead pest insects are burned to ash, diluted in water, and sprayed on vines. It sounds like folklore until you watch someone devote their livelihood to it.
Pét-Nat
Pétillant naturel — sparkling wine bottled before fermentation is complete
Pétillant naturel (pét-nat) is sparkling wine made by the méthode ancestrale: the wine is bottled before primary fermentation is complete, and the CO₂ produced by the remaining sugar creates natural bubbles in the bottle. No second fermentation, no disgorgement, no dosage.
Premier Cru
The second tier in Champagne's village classification — and the first in Burgundy's vineyard hierarchy
Premier Cru (first growth) means different things in different regions. In Champagne, it designates villages rated 90–99% in the historic échelle des crus. In Burgundy, it designates specific vineyard plots ranked below Grand Cru but above village-level wines.
S
Skin Contact / Orange Wine
White grapes fermented on their skins — ancient method, modern revival
Skin-contact wine (sometimes called orange wine or amber wine) is white wine fermented in extended contact with the grape skins, in the same way red wine is made. The skins extract tannin, color, and additional flavor compounds, producing wines that are more structured and complex than conventional whites.
Sparkling Wine
Wine with dissolved CO₂ — from champagne to pét-nat, bubbles as a winemaking choice
Sparkling wine encompasses any wine with significant dissolved carbon dioxide, producing effervescence. The methods range from traditional secondary fermentation in bottle (méthode traditionnelle) to tank fermentation (Charmat) to the ancient méthode ancestrale. Each method produces a distinct style and character.
U
Unfiltered
Wine bottled without passing through a filter — texture and complexity preserved
Unfiltered wine has not been passed through a filter before bottling. Filtration removes particles, yeast cells, and bacteria, producing a stable, bright wine — but can also strip texture and aromatic compounds. Avoiding it is standard practice among serious natural producers.
Unfined
Wine that has not been treated with fining agents to clarify or stabilize
Unfined wine has not been treated with fining agents — substances like bentonite, casein, egg white, or isinglass that bind to proteins or tannins and cause them to precipitate out. Fining is common in conventional winemaking for clarity and stability; avoiding it is a hallmark of natural production.
Z
Zero Sulfite / No Added SO₂
Wine made without sulfur dioxide — the most radical commitment in natural winemaking
Zero-sulfite wine contains no added sulfur dioxide at any stage of production. SO₂ has been used as a preservative and antiseptic in winemaking for centuries. Eliminating it entirely is the most demanding commitment in the natural wine movement, requiring pristine fruit, rigorous cellar hygiene, and cold chain management.
Zero-Zero
Zero sulfur added, zero dosage — the most uncompromising commitment in natural champagne
Zero-zero is an informal term for wines made with zero added sulfur dioxide and zero dosage (no sugar added after disgorgement). It represents the most demanding approach in natural champagne production — requiring absolute confidence in the fruit, the fermentation, and the cellar.